It’s a bold new dawn for North West College.
“We’ve had a good look at our current logo, and I think it’s definitely served us well over time, but it’s brought up some unintended comparisons,” said President and CEO Dr. Eli Ahlquist.
“I’ve heard everything from ‘It looks like some sort of a bird or a bat flying, all the way to a moustache.”
The re-design process began a few years ago during a strategic planning session and at the time the board and staff started to spitball ideas about what the future might look like for the college and what direction it might take.
Part of that conversation involved a refreshed logo and visual identity.
“More than just a logo but just kind of looking at the bigger picture,” Ahlquist. explained.
Now, as the college moves forward by developing new programming and opening new spaces including ones at the Frontier Mall, they’re ready for an updated look.
“We’re not necessarily looking into any particular image but want to gather some information from people, find out what they think of the college, what do they think of where we’re going and what can make us stand out.”
Ahlquist said that the college landscape is rather crowded, and the goal is to set themselves apart – whether that is through design, colour schemes or other features.
“There’s no single direction, but we’re definitely looking for something that’s going to be bold and modern and reflects our communities and the values that we have,” he said.
As such, over the summer, the college staff are currently looking for volunteers to help as they will look for input from focus groups, community members, staff, students, alumni and special interest groups.
Currently, the school has done some pre-planning and what they hope to issue out to the groups for feedback will be possible design features and they hope to present a few variations as a jumping off point.
“There’s been a lot of really exciting things happening around the college,” he said.
“So, we just want to make sure we carry forward that momentum of the newness and the excitement and make something that our community’s proud of.”
As for what the future design might look like, Ahlquist said everyone has their preferences.
“We definitely want to have a symbol that’s meaningful to the community.”
Anyone wishing to be a part of the process or for more information may email: Kris.Jones@northwestcollege.ca.
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